by Megan McCoy
“Think we both got the damn spring fever?” he asked Matt.
“Yeah, Dad, I think that’s exactly what we got. The damn spring fever. Hope we can figure out a medicine that works.”
They both urged their horses to a gallop and didn’t talk about it again.
* * * * *
Two nights later, Jeb and Cassandra were on the back of Charlie Three and wandering down one of the well-worn trails. The horse knew the way and all she cared about was being with Jeb.
“We’re thinking of adding in some night rides for the clients,” Jeb said, when he invited her to go. “I’m just not sure it’s safe for the horses with a bunch of inexperienced riders on their backs. Want to go on a trial run with me?”
Of course she did. What else could be more important? Nothing on her agenda, but some paperwork that could wait. Being with her boss, being with her man, took precedence over it all.
After work, she changed into clean jeans, sturdy boots, and a button up shirt. Whoops, she forgot to wear a bra. Well, maybe no one would notice. Except the guy she wanted to notice. Applying a touch of lip-gloss and mascara, and doing a quick loose braid to her hair, she tucked a small hand towel jauntily in her back pocket. One never knew when they might need a quick touch up or dry off out on the trail, you know. She would be prepared!
Jeb knocked on her room door about five minutes before she was expecting him. Of course, she’d been ready and pacing for ten. Why did she feel like a silly schoolgirl? Like one of the teenagers she supervised? It was so ridiculous and yet more exciting and more fun than anything she could imagine. Who knew she’d have to leave the nightlife and excitement of Chicago to find true adventure?
Was that all this was, she wondered? A summer adventure?
Yes, she told herself firmly. She needed to keep that in mind while she enjoyed herself. He didn’t want a woman to replace the late great St. Rose. No one could. She didn’t want to live in the sticks the rest of her life. But, she did want another few rounds of really good cowboy sex before she went back to the city. Maybe another spanking or two. Maybe she could convince him not to spank quite so hard next time, though. She rather enjoyed the before and the after, but the during? Not so much. It hurt way more than she thought it would and she didn’t really like the panicked feeling that came over her. Where she could do nothing but try not to fight him very hard when that was all she wanted to do. Run. Get away.
Yet, he was in total and complete charge of not only her, but her body and her spanking. Why that was hot and so beyond sexy and overwhelming, she didn’t understand. She’d always been a take-charge kind of person. She lived alone, worked with leaders, and was their equal. But with this man, this male….
Was it just a summer brain fart that made her love to be submissive to this man? Like the kids who went wild on spring break, girls who flashed their breasts for the cameras and boys who thought they were every girls’ dream man while they strutted on the beaches on mommy and daddy’s money?
When was the last time she’d had a vacation? It had been years. The corporate get-aways were supposed to be mini vacations, but they were really working in different environments with more alcohol. She always told herself she wasn’t a vacation type of person. The only thing she’d done was visit her mom’s family for a couple days a few times a year. Which as everyone knew, wasn’t really a vacation and more of an obligation. Maybe it had just come to a head and she was being a girl gone wild with a hot as hell cowboy. That’s probably all it was. It was nothing that would carry over after her summer break. Pretty sure.
Snuggling up next to the aforethought of hot as hell cowboy in front of her, she asked, “So do you think the inexperienced riders will be a danger to the horses out here at night? Or that the darkness is more of an issue? Could you add solar lights to the trails maybe? They wouldn’t bother the day riders, but could illuminate enough to help at night without distracting from the stars and darkness which would be what the night riders want to see.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll have Matt look into that. I think the clients would like to wander around at here in the dark, and just one more thing to offer to get people here, if it’s safe.” He slowed the horse a little with whatever magic thing he did with his knees.
She could feel the muscles in his legs move but wasn’t sure what he was doing. The horse knew though. She didn’t even know how people trained those tiny little dogs they carried around in their purses all the time, much less a two ton horse who could just like, sit on you or step on you or knock you over with his swishing tail or something if they wanted.
There were many different ways to train horses, or people for that matter, she knew, logically. Like the way he was training her. All she wanted was to be with him, and please him. She knew it made no sense. So back again to summer craziness. That she could understand. Cassandra made the mental decision to just go with it. She deserved a summer fling. She worked hard, and her heart had been broken a while back. A string free fun time with this guy who pulled her strings and made her dance to his tune, was just what she needed before she went back to Chicago to be the alpha bitch in charge of everything.
Sighing happily, she gave him a big from behind hug. Then lowered her hands to seek what she wanted. Who knew grandpas could get so hard so fast? According to the TV shows they all needed little blue pills. Not this grandpa, apparently. If they got married, she’d be a grandma.
She stiffened and pulled herself away from him. Oh, shit. Mind racing, she calculated dates in her mind. Nah. Couldn’t be. He only had one kid that she knew about, so he probably had a vasectomy anyway. When was the last time she’d taken her depo shot? She’d forgotten about it since Tyler… big breath, calculating fast. Okay. She should be good for another month. Letting out a deep shaky breath, she relaxed against him again.
“What’s wrong, Candy? See a ghost?” he teased.
“Just running my vivid imagination,” she said, relaxing back into him. She was fine. Things would be fine. Somehow, she trusted this man with anything that would happen. If she’d had this even momentary scare with Tyler, she would have handled it on her own, not told him, at least till she knew for sure then would have come to him with a plan.
Simply knowing, already that she could trust Jeb with any bit of knowledge and he would be able to handle anything that came along was an enormous leap of faith. Or would he be able to do that? No man was perfect, after all.
Well, fine, test that theory. “I couldn’t remember how long my birth control was working for,” she said softly into his ear.
Feeling him stiffen suddenly scared her, but then she felt him relax again. “You can’t know you’re pregnant already,” he said, very calmly.
“I’m not. My shot is still working, I just had a second of scare,” she said.
“I apologize,” he slowed the horse even more. “I didn’t think about it and that’s unforgivable. I should have known better. Rose had to have an emergency hysterectomy after the kid was born, and I’ve not really even thought about birth control since. I’m sorry you were worried, my fault. I’ll pick up condoms tomorrow and we can do something else tonight.”
Cassandra giggled into his back. “We’re fine. I’m disease free, I’m on birth control. I just had a scare for a second and wanted to see how you’d handle it.”
He chuckled.
He did! She couldn’t believe it!
“Did I pass your test?” he asked.
“You did,” she said, seriously. “Thank you for that.”
“You’ll find out I’m a man of my word, and I take care of my woman, no matter what. You never have to worry about anything with me, other than the occasional sore butt,” he said.
“That doesn’t worry me,” she whispered. Was she his woman? Why didn’t that scare her like it should?
“I know,” he replied. “In fact, I plan on a little butt warming in just a few minutes. “
Cassandra couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her.
“I wasn’t bad. I‘m not stressed,” she protested, but couldn’t help the thick note of desire in her voice.
“Didn’t say you had been,” he said, turning the horse down a small side path.
“Then why am I getting a spanking?” she tried not to whine. She could just say no, but also realized if he said it was going to happen, it just was.
“Why not?”
Damn. She could not think of one good reason. Not a single one. Ah! “They hurt?” she tried.
“Supposed to,” he agreed.
Sighing heavily, she squirmed closer to him. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he repeated, and seemed to be swallowing a laugh.
“Yes, please, I’d like a spanking,” she said in the nearest ear, then nipped his ear lobe gently.
“I think I can handle that for you,” he said, and stopped the horse. Her mind was so focused on him, she didn’t even notice the magic movement he did to get that to happen. All she wanted was to have him close to her. Warming her bottom, then pounding into her. What a simple woman she’d turned into, when those two things made her happy, satisfied and all melty all over him. What happened to her professional self? She’d find it again tomorrow.
Right now, she was very happy to slide off the horse and wait for him to join her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him to a clearing. She could barely see but he seemed to know where they were going. Jeb dropped her hand and felt a sense of loss, but then heard the noise of a lighter flicking and a fire whooshing into life. A campfire sprang into being, just as magical to her as the movement of the horse.
She watched as he manipulated wood, and wished she was manipulating his wood…..oh her mind. Where did it go? Why? Why did it matter? All that mattered was tonight.
The fire roared up and he pulled her close to him as they both watched it, fascinated. “Something about a fire,” he said softly. “My granddad always said that when we were camping. He was right, there really is something about a fire.”
Cassandra could only nod in agreement, shivering in his arms. There were fireplaces in her hotels, but they were nothing like this. They were cozy, pleasant. This was amazing and marvelous. Wild and wonderful. Just like this man holding her.
“Ready for that butt warming?” He asked, pulling her even closer. “Mmm, you smell good.”
All she could do was nod, again. How could he see a nod? But he seemed to be able to see it, because he held her hand as they walked over to a fallen log next to the fire. “Drop your drawers, Candy,” he said.
Was she really going to do this? Yeah, she really was, she thought, fumbling with her pants, fingers trembling. She didn’t really want spanked but she did, and she really wanted her pants off so he could do whatever he wanted with her.
As her jeans shimmied down to her thighs, he moved her a step closer to a woodpile and put her hands on a log. “Lift your butt, show it to me,” he said, while pushing on her back with one hand and spreading her thighs with the other. Eagerly, Cassandra did as she was told. This wasn’t over his knee but she so wanted to experience what he wanted her to have. Hoping she could handle it, she braced for the first blow. Wanting it, craving it, dreading it. A quick flash of worry over cellulite or fat flashed through her brain, but disappeared as quickly as his hand came down.
“Oh!” she squealed. Then wiggled hard in case he forgot where the spanks were to happen. Here, here!
Grabbing the log he’d guided her to, tightly, she tried to hold still, let him do with her as he pleased. Her bottom arched toward him, and his hard hand landed on her bottom again. She could tell this wasn’t punishment. It hurt, stung, yes but she knew the difference. This was foreplay and she loved it, every bit of sensation she could get from him. Wiggling into his hands, she moaned in acceptance, compliance, want. His hand struck again and again as she gripped harder with her hands while her hips went into a dance. The twist? She wasn’t that old! But the dance she began to do was probably age old. Her hips churned, while she tried to force her hands into being stable. Her feet began to prance a little as the heat in her bottom affected her entire body, from her brain to her toes. Her mouth began to sing encouragement with each blow to her lower regions. It still didn’t hurt but it got her attention. She’d never danced with her head down and her butt in the air before, but she was now. She’d wanted new experiences and yes, she was getting them. Never once in her wildest dreams had she thought this would be one of them.
“Yes!” She all but yelled it out. How was the same thing he did the other day that created such pain, now make her want and need and drip with desire? Her bottom warmed quickly, she could hear his voice, soft and low behind her as he lit the fire in more than her body. Her mind, her very essence burned with need for him.
She needed him in her. Now. She knew she was wet and soaked with desire. She had to have him or otherwise she was going to scream in frustration.
She didn’t move, even though she realized he’d stopped spanking her. She could hear the rustle of his clothes, and then felt his signature rub up and down on her nether lips before he filled her. Moaning, she pushed back against him, and heard his corresponding growl. He gave her a second to adjust, and then pounded and she couldn’t stop pushing back, wanting more, harder.
He slapped her bottom, and then reached around and grabbed her breast, gently caressing her nipple. Vaguely she wondered if this was why people practiced ‘rub your belly, pat your head,’ for the multi-tasking needed in lovemaking. Then her mind simply went blank till she shattered into an orgasm. She came down from the high, to find herself held tightly in his arms, while his hands patted her warm ass and soothed her into calmness.
“Did that hurt?” he asked.
“Wonderfully,” she sighed against him, and wondered how soon he could manage to do it again. Would it be greedy to ask?
Chapter Seven
A few hours later, Cassandra purred happily, as she rubbed against him on the back of the horse. She knew they were heading home and all she wanted was a nice shower, preferably with him soaping her back, and then a long slow cuddle under the clean sheets in her comfortable bed, till they both fell asleep all tangled up. She didn’t remember being this happy, or this happily exhausted, or this totally satisfied in, well, ever.
“Careful,” he told her in a voice filled with humor. “All that rubbing is going to give me ideas.”
“Can you… have an idea… again already?” She teased back. That would be surprising after the, well, quite a few times, they had already indulged today.
“Don’t know, but we can find out if you want,” he said. “I’ll get Charlie here all tucked in for the night and then we can see what happens.”
“Sounds wonderful,” well, but for the part where he had to leave her and go do horse things. But she understood that horses, unlike cars, had needs that couldn’t wait. The horse walked into the quiet lodge area. All the clients seemed to be bedded down for the night, but for one couple who were wandering around, hand in hand. They waved, and she reluctantly unclutched Jeb long enough to wave back. Hoping they were having as good a night as she hoped she would have, she followed them with her eyes as they ducked behind the barn. Grinning happily she mentally blew them a kiss and wished them luck. Happiness should be shared, she figured.
Jeb aimed the horse to the front door and when he stopped him, she slid off in what by now was a practiced move. “Don’t go anywhere, Candy. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“See you in a few, boss man. If you can’t find me, I’ll be the naked woman in the shower,” she said softly, in case there were listening ears anywhere close. Then quickly walked up the steps on shaky knees. What the man did to her physically and emotionally was boggling. She had never met anyone like him before and hoped he planned to spend the night with her. They hadn’t had an entire night together yet and she couldn’t wait to find out if he snored or if he slept in the buff, and would expect her to do the same. She never slept naked. Too many years of having people call her in the
middle of the night and too many stories of people wandering into hotel rooms despite locks on the doors. But for him, well, she just felt safe with him and if that’s what he wanted from her, she would.
She didn’t want to think of what the future would hold, but maybe tonight would give her a clue or a hint of north or south. East or west? Who cared about which direction – she just wanted one.
Opening the forever unlocked front door, Cassandra walked into the cozy and comfortable office/living room, heading to her room. But then she stopped, short and just stared. There in front of the fireplace, snoring in the recliner chair, was Tyler. What the hell was he doing here? She could feel a pound of nerves start in her chest. How had he found her? She hadn’t told him she was coming here. He’d broken up with her a few months before she made the decision to accept this job offer and they’d not spoken since. She hadn’t even drunk dialed or texted him once, a fact she was very proud of herself for. He didn’t want her, she was done. Nobody had to tell her twice they thought she was unworthy of their grand and glorious presence.
But now what?
Mostly she just wanted to walk by him, and ignore him and have fun with Jeb in her room. The other just a tiny little part of her wanted to kick him out of here, screaming like a shrew at what a lying cheater liar who lies and cheats he was and how dare he darken her door again. A tinier part hoped he was here to beg her to come back to him so she could turn him down haughtily and grandly. Then she would send him on his way majestically while Jeb watched from the corner quietly, and then when he left and she turned around, he held his arms out and whispered how proud he was of her. What should she do?